Chill out. Have some cake. This might take a while.
By Leah Allis Moss
2020 has been a year! Many of us have had our whole lives upended. This season of elections feels so much like the icing on a very bitter cake. But it is still icing, and if you, like me, have the eternal heart of a chubby kid, you know well- take your time with the icing, or you will make yourself sick. And while the metaphor may be stretched thin, it still rings true. We need to take our time with these momentous elections, not hurriedly push for an answer or rush the process.
This year the pandemic has kept us distanced from our jobs, our families, and our communities. As we face inter-woven crises of health, economy, racism, and climate, we have also seen our communities’ polarization and politicization of our basic needs for wellness and safety. The gaps between us, at times, feel deeper and widening by the day. Where is our common ground? Where is our shared humanity?
I hope we can find the core of it again, and I have faith that we can. I feel it as we see the ever-growing number of voters showing up to be heard. Here is our unity — in the power that each of us holds in our singular voice — our vote. As of writing this, over 66 million Americans have voted, and we are still days away from November 3. In my state, a state with huge geographic, language, and accessibility hurdles, over 100,000 people have cast ballots. No matter which side of the arbitrary lines they may fall on, each of these people holds a collective truth: their vote matters. To honor this truth, shouldn’t we, at the very least, make sure their votes are counted?
I, for one, want a fair and rigorous process for my vote. I, like many who voted absentee, sat down with my research and candidate platforms and filled in each of those circles with thought and purpose. Others stood for hours in line, while even others navigated new barriers to the polls to be heard. I want our ballots to carry the weight of our intentions from the ballot box, mailbox, or voting booth to the Division of Elections, to the hands that open it to the eyes that read it. I do not want our votes to be an afterthought or a rushed job, and I do not want that for any of the millions of votes that will still need to be counted on and after November 3.
Yes, this election season feels like it has been going for years, but it’s 2020, and most of us have lost a solid understanding of the passing of time. At one point in this pandemic, I didn’t leave my house for two weeks, broken only by occasional, desperate pangs for fresh air and groceries so that I didn’t have yet another cupcake breakfast. Others have had to adjust their whole lives to care for elders or children. If we can collectively wait months to go back to our routines, we all have the ability to wait a few more days to find out who will be filling the seats of some of the most important offices in our country.
The extended timeline to know results this season of elections is not because of bad actors or a broken system. The time it will take is a sign that our process is working. There are 50 states and thousands of individual voting districts with unprecedented amounts of absentee votes rolling in. They should all carry the same weight as those votes cast on November 3. Sure, we may all have the inclination to want to call this election at the first sign of votes leaning one way or another, but that dismisses the millions of voices who took their time to have their vote counted.
November 3 we will be bombarded with statistics and fancy maps on every news channel telling us who might be our next President, Representative, or Senator, but these are just guesses and ratings tactics; they are not a representation of every American vote. It’s important to remember all those votes that still need to be counted for Federal, state, and local races. Down ballot choices will affect every American’s everyday lives, and in many places, those races have been won or lost by less than ten votes. Don’t you think we owe it to each other to make sure those ten votes are counted?
“Oh man, this sounds so tedious and laborious.” Yes, yes, it is, and it should be. I want every questioned ballot poured over painstakingly, and where possible, I want every voter who signed weirdly or forgot to fill in a full circle to have the chance and the time to cure their ballot. I want the millions of absentee ballots mailed in by November 3 counted even if they take a few more days to get there. I want every voter to know that their vote was honored and respected. Federal law allows us time to count these ballots. Local organizations, lawyers, community members, and the Division of Elections are prepared to take on this task. Some of them are even nerding out about this opportunity to take time with this election count. And these same nerds are also hyper-vigilant for any issues or mishandling of our ballots.
Step away from the endless screens and stats that will be screaming at you on November 3 and the following days. Save some energy for whatever the election results might bring. Our vote is just the beginning of how we must move to come together and overcome these crises that divide us. It’s the first step, and a huge step, so let’s do it right. We can all agree there is work to be done, and maybe we can take this extra time as votes get counted to think about how we can start to move forward. I hope so. 2020 has shown us we are capable of incredible things.
I know a lot has been asked of us all this year, and for some of us, it may feel painful to wait another second under whatever administration you may find yourself. But I ask you to do something we Americans have never been the best at: Be patient. Be patient for a dutiful and thorough election count to be finalized. Give it a few days, know the process is working, and maybe tap into those pandemic skills and bake yourself a cake, extra icing. We are going to need a lot of energy for what comes next.
For Alaskans looking to stay updated on the elections count process please visit: AkCenterEdFund.org/election-count
